Journey Through Realms: Fulfilling Last Wishes

Chapter 38: Little Cabbage of the 80s

“Are you hungry, dear? Today I made some braised ribs just for you. They’re so tender and delicious—you have to eat more,” said Aunt Li as she opened the door, entering with enthusiasm and a warm smile.

She had been simmering the ribs since morning, and now the meat was so tender it melted in the mouth—a taste she was quite proud of.

“Oh, Xiao Shen, you’re here too! Perfect, you should join us and try my cooking,” Aunt Li said as she noticed Shen Yang in the room and eagerly invited him to share the meal.

“Auntie, don’t give any to him. These are all mine. Giving him any would be a waste,” An Ran said happily as she saw Aunt Li enter. Aunt Li’s cooking was top-notch, and An Ran had put on some weight recently thanks to her hearty meals.

“It’s not wasteful if you eat it, but look at you—you’ve eaten so much and haven’t gained much weight,” Shen Yang retorted, clearly displeased by her words.

An Ran had indeed gained weight compared to when she first arrived. Back then, she was too thin, so even with the added pounds, she still looked slim, though her complexion had become rosier and healthier.

“Auntie, look at him! I’m clearly much chubbier now, all thanks to you,” An Ran protested, tugging at her slightly fuller cheeks as proof.

“Xiao Shen’s right—you’re still too thin. You should eat more of these ribs,” Aunt Li said, gently pulling down An Ran’s hand and tenderly rubbing her face, which she’d tugged a bit too hard.

“Your face is turning red—don’t pull it like that, silly.”

“Auntie, you’re the best! I like you the most!” An Ran said cheerfully, hugging Aunt Li affectionately.

“What, only Auntie is good to you? Am I not good to you? This is so unfair!” Shen Yang muttered with a hint of jealousy. If it weren’t for him watching over her, she wouldn’t have recovered so quickly or even been allowed out of the house recently.

“Oh dear, Xiao Shen’s jealous! Come on, dear, share a piece with him, look at that poor, pitiful face of his,” Aunt Li teased as she opened the lunchbox, displaying the neatly arranged ribs and rice.

“Auntie, you’re definitely the best. But, fine—because of you, I’ll give him a little,” An Ran said reluctantly, though her eyes were fixed on the ribs that looked and smelled irresistible. She picked up a piece and held it out towards Shen Yang’s mouth.

Shen Yang was startled. Just a moment ago, she had declared she wouldn’t share any with him, and now a piece was being offered to him directly? He hesitated, unsure whether to take it or not. The opportunity seemed rare, though, and it’d be a shame to miss out.

“Auntie, look at him! He doesn’t even want it. I might as well eat it myself,” An Ran said, withdrawing the piece of rib when Shen Yang still hadn’t reacted.

“Then go ahead and eat more, dear,” Aunt Li said with a knowing smile, noticing that Shen Yang had wanted to take the piece but missed his chance.

Shen Yang felt a bit frustrated watching An Ran happily devouring the ribs. He couldn’t help but feel like he’d been played. Couldn’t she have waited a bit longer? He was just about to eat it!

“I’ll give you one more chance. Do you want it or not? Auntie’s ribs are really amazing,” An Ran said again, holding out another piece towards him.

She had seen him about to take the previous one but decided to act like she hadn’t noticed and ate it herself. Now she was offering again to be fair.

“Xiao Shen, don’t hesitate this time—look at how reluctant she is to part with it,” Aunt Li reminded him with a laugh, noticing that he was once again frozen in place.

“You’ve got some conscience. I’ll let it slide this time,” Shen Yang said as he finally took the rib, though he kept up his tough act.

“Thank you, Officer Shen, for being so magnanimous,” An Ran teased, rolling her eyes slightly but still amused. She knew Shen Yang had been doing his best to take care of her, so she didn’t want to tease him too much.

Satisfied, An Ran returned her attention to her food, thoroughly enjoying the delicious meal. The rib soup mixed with rice was absolutely divine.

“Auntie, An Ran and I discussed it. She’s willing to register her household under mine,” Shen Yang said after noticing she was fully absorbed in eating and wouldn’t be distracted by their conversation.

“What? How could you make such a decision without telling me? That’s so unfair!” Aunt Li exclaimed, clearly upset. She had always thought Shen Yang was a good boy, but now he’d gone behind her back!

“Auntie, don’t be mad. This was An Ran’s idea. If you don’t believe me, ask her,” Shen Yang said quickly, sensing the danger and deflecting the blame.

An Ran, who was happily chewing on a rib, suddenly choked on a grain of rice. Her throat felt blocked, and her eyes teared up as she tried to cough discreetly, not wanting to cause a scene.

“Dear, drink some water quickly! Oh, you poor thing, be more careful next time. Big gulps now,” Aunt Li said, instantly switching from being upset to fussing over An Ran as she handed her a glass of water.

After several gulps and some chest pats, An Ran finally felt better. She slowly caught her breath and spoke up.

“Auntie, don’t be mad. I really wanted to stay with you, but Shen Yang said we need your children’s consent too. I didn’t want to trouble them over this. I’d feel guilty if it caused any issues,” she said softly, looking at Aunt Li with a pitiful expression.

She deliberately softened her tone to comfort Aunt Li, not wanting her to feel hurt or upset. Aunt Li had been the first person to show her kindness here, and An Ran couldn’t bear the thought of causing her any trouble. Aunt Li was older now and couldn’t afford unnecessary stress.

“Well, if you’ve already decided, I won’t push further. But if your household is registered with Xiao Shen, I insist on handling your school enrollment myself,” Aunt Li said firmly, making it clear that she wouldn’t let this go completely.

Aunt Li could see that An Ran was trying to be considerate of her, so she decided to compromise. However, she also knew the next step after resolving the household registration issue was arranging for An Ran to go back to school—something she was uniquely qualified to handle.

“School? Why do I need to go to school? I don’t want to go to school,” An Ran said, her head aching at the thought. With her current skills, she’d have to start from scratch. While basic arithmetic was fine, subjects like literature would definitely involve memorization.

Thinking about early mornings and endless recitations, An Ran wanted to refuse outright.

“Of course you need to go to school. Only by studying can you have a bright future. You’re so smart, I believe in you,” Aunt Li said encouragingly, determined not to back down on this point.

“Auntie… can’t we discuss this?” An Ran tried to plead, giving Aunt Li a pitiful look. Deep down, she knew Aunt Li wouldn’t relent, but she felt the need to try.

“I’ve already compromised on the household registration. There’s no room for negotiation on this. You have to listen to me,” Aunt Li said sternly, her expression unyielding. School was non-negotiable.